Tricycles, motorcycles, security, diplomatic vehicles exempted
Trucks, SUV/Jeeps, light vehicles/minibuses and cars will now pay ₦6,400, ₦4,000, ₦3,200, and ₦2,000, respectively, to ply the 227.2km Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Makurdi highway reconstructed by the Federal Government under the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI) road project scheme.
The development followed the official flag-off of the cashless tolling operations along the road corridor by the federal government on Tuesday.
The road has four toll stations at Keffi, Akwanga, Lafia and Makurdi Plazas.
The toll rates peg Trucks/buses/multi-axle vehicles at ₦1,600 per toll, light vehicle/minibuses at ₦1,000, SUV/Jeep at ₦800 and cars at ₦500, respectively. Each vehicle plying the road from beginning to the end will be tolled four times at four different toll stations.
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, said on the 227.2-kilometer Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi highway, however, commercial vehicles will enjoy 50 per cent discount while tricycles, motorcycles, and other modes of two-or-three-wheel transport are exempted from paying toll fee.
Others also exempted are Police, Military and security and diplomatic vehicles.
He said the road corridor is a vital infrastructure route in Nigeria, serving as an essential highway for both the economic and social activities of the central and northern regions of the country.
He said the road corridor is crucial for the economic, social, and strategic development of Nigeria as it serves as a key artery for trade, mobility, and national security while contributing to the growth of infrastructure, urbanisation, and national cohesion.
Umahi, represented by the Minister of State for Works, Barr. Bello Goronyo, Esq., said the effective maintenance and further development of the road will continue to play a significant role in the nation’s development and enhancing the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians.
He said the Federal Government of Nigeria rehabilitated and upgraded the roads through the preferential credit loan from China Exim Bank.
He explained that the loan agreement provided, among other things, that upon completion, the road will be tolled, operated, and maintained by a private party, and that revenue collected from the operation shall be preferentially used for the loan repayment to the China Exim Bank.
“Consequently, the Ministry, under the previous administration in 2023, executed a 25-year toll of wages and maintained concession agreement with Messrs China Harbour Operations and Maintenance Company Limited, in partnership with Messrs Katamaran Nigeria Limited, under the Highways Development and Management Initiative Phase I,” he added.
He said the Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Makurdi road is the first among the nine corridors being concessioned under the Highways Development and Management Initiative Phase I to commence operations.
He added that the government, in the coming months, will continue with the launching and operationalisation of the remaining ones located across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
This initiative has opened a new chapter in the history of Nigeria as it gives the Federal Government the opportunity to overcome bad roads.
“Tolling concessions is a vital step towards the realization of our vision for a more efficient, sustainable, and well-maintained road transport system for our beloved country. Today, we embark on a journey to ensure that our infrastructure is preserved for the benefit of present and future operations. The collection of tolls will generate much-needed revenue for the maintenance and extension of our renewed road agenda,” he stated.
He reiterated that the initiative will promote ease of movement that bolsters the economy, creates a self-sustaining and resilient transport network, supports economic growth and job creation in the beloved North African and rural areas across the country.
He said the toll order fee for the Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Highway has been gazetted as follows: “Saloon cars would be tolled for N500, SUVs/Jeeps N800, minibuses N1,000, and multi-axle vehicles N1,600.”.
He, however, said frequent road users, like the commercial light vehicles defined under the Federal Highways Act, would enjoy a 50% discount.
He added that “pedal vehicles, tricycles, motorcycles, and other modes of two-orthree-wheel transport used by mainly disadvantaged populations would be offered a 100% discount.”
The Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Emmanuel Agbadu Akabe, called for public enlightenment on the toll fees.
“We need to encourage the people. We need to get the buy-in of the people. Because the effects of this are multiple. Security is guaranteed, our vehicles will last longer, accidents will be less, the economy will develop because at these tollgates, economies will come up. Shops, sales, and all that will come up,” Akabe stated.
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